The Different Uses Of Salicylic Acid
Cleansing your skin with soap and water may not be enough to keep your skin clear and bright. Using a salicylic acid cleanser can help brighten your skin and keep it looking young by gently exfoliating the uppermost layer of your skin to reveal the healthy, new skin below. Although salicylic acid products are not for everyone, they can be beneficial for many skin types when they are used properly.
How salicylic acid cleansers work
Salicylic acid is a chemical that works as an exfoliant and keratolytic. This means that it gently removes old and thick skin. When it is applied topically, the solution causes the uppermost layer of the skin to swell, soften, and then peel, removing dead skin cells as a result. People who suffer from acne will benefit from using salicylic acid cleansers because these products slow down the shedding of cells inside hair follicles and thus keeps your pores from getting occluded with cellular debris. Clogged pores become a breeding ground for bacteria that causes acne. However, it must be remembered that salicylic acid is not an antibacterial agent. Instead, it only keeps your pores clear and promotes sloughing off of skin cells. Aside from acne, you can also buy salicylic acid peels to diminish fine lines, pigments and even out your skin tone. Peels are different from cleansers in terms of how long they stay on the face before being rinsed. Cleansers are applied and then rinsed off almost immediately while peeling products are usually left on the face for a couple of minutes before a neutralizing agent is applied to stop the peeling process. Some salicylic acid peels are self-neutralizing in that they become deactivated after a certain amount of time or when the product is rinsed off from the face.
Aside from being useful in treating acne, salicylic acid can also help people with psoriasis, which is a condition where skin cells build up on the skin’s surface, forming scales and dry patches. By using salicylic acid preparations, psoriasis sufferers can improve the appearance of their skin. This peeling agent should be used with caution though because the wrong strength can burn the skin or cause untoward reactions. Because of this, it is important to speak with your doctor before using any salicylic acid-containing product.
Salicylic acid is also used in treating warts. They cause the excess skin that has built up to soften and fall off. For warts, a much stronger concentration of salicylic acid is usually used.
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